Verse of the Day - Proverbs 21:2

You may believe you are doing right, but the Lord judges your reasons.
~ Proverbs 21:2 (NCV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is it enough to do the right thing, even if our motives are wrong? What have we gained to, say, give to the needy, if our motive is commendation or other personal advancement?

Doing good benefits the receiver, no doubt. If you give a cup of cold water in Jesus' name, those quenched are blessed by your efforts. But God says that's not enough. Doing good works apart from a clean heart is not only insufficient, it's wrong. If you are serving self or others when you claim to do good in service to God, it's wrong. I say, "Don't do it," (whatever 'it' is for you) if your motives are not in keeping with God's heart.

He sees your insides, anyway, so trying to "keep up appearances", when you loathe the task or are only doing it for the kickbacks, is not really where you want to be ... that is, if you truly desire to be moulded into the image of Christ.

King David was a man who allowed God to come on his inside and make changes, letting go of the reins on his attitudes and motives...

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.
~ Psalm 139:23-24 (The Msg)

Jesus' motives on earth were to bring glory to the Father. His agenda was God's agenda. His task was perfect submission to the Father. Paul does a great job in Philippians 2 in helping us understand how we should operate in keeping with Jesus' example...
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%202;&version=65;)

I pray that we can be a people who desire to be clean and right on the inside, as well as the outside, and the only way that can happen is for us to submit to the Lord's cleansing and filling in our lives.

Let us echo David's words as we conduct our own heart check...

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." ~ Psalm 16:2 (NIV)

Love,
Joelene